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A mtltUY OF FOUR-H
FROMBM&fc BEGINNINGS
A GREAT ORGANIZATION
A school superintendent and 151
farm boys started 4-H Club work
in Georgia in 1905. Little did they
realize that 49 years later their
idea would be a unique education
al organization reaching 131,385
boys and girls.
The 4-H Club program began in
Georgia about the same time it
did in other states, and it began
in about the same way— with
com clubs.
Probably the first boys’ agri
cultural club in the state was the
corn club organized at Coving
ton by Mr. G. C. Adams, Newton
County school superintendent, just
five years after the turn of the cen
tury. One hundred and fifty-one
boys were members of the club,
and each grew an acre of corn.
After harvest in the fall, each boy
exhibited ten ears of com in a
county show. Thus began 4-H.
Girls became a part of this un
usual organization in 1911 when
tomato growing and canning clubs
were inaugurated by the State
College of Agriculture. That year
home demonstration agents were
appointed in Clarke and Clayton
Counties for a period of two mon
ths during the spring and sum
mer.
By this time the boys’ corn clubs
had grown, and it was in 1911 that
the first southern com show was
held at the city auditorium in At
lanta. Citizens of Atlanta opened
their homes and entertained the
corn club boys from all parts of
the state. The event was held at
the state capitol in 1912 and 1913,
with Atlantians again entertain
ing some 1,200 farm boys in their
homes.
It was also in 1911 that short
courses to give boys special train
ing in agriculture were held. Nine
.boys won scholarships to the
event, but anyone who wanted to
could attend. A year later the
courses were expanded to include
girls, and 14 of them earned free
trips to the event that year.
Then came an eventful year —
1914. That year saw the beginning
of the southeastern fair in Atlanta
—a direct result of the corn shows
held in previous years. The fair
has continued to bp an annual
event, with 4-H Club as one of its
main features.
Oldtimers say the 4-H pig show
held at the southeastern fair in
1914 was the first meat show south
of the Mason -Dixon line.
Boys’ and girls’ poultry clubs
had their beginning in 1914, too.
To become a member, a boy or
girl had to set at least one setting
of purebred eggs. These clubs
elected officers and held regular
meetings. County agents, home de
monstration agents, school teach
ers and school superintendents co
operated in this project. With the
exception of the poultry project,
very little of the early 4-H work
was done jointly with boys and
girls.
Boys’ club work had grown, and
by 1914 had branched out to in
clude four other crops in addition
to corn. The number of girls* pro
jects had increased, too, and that
year the Smith-Lever Act was
passed.
It was this act that created the
Agricultural Extension Service as
a part of the land grant colleges
in each state and the U. S. Depart
ment of Agriculture.
Interest in Extension work in
creased by leaps and bounds. More
county and home demonstration
THE BULLETIN Irwinton, Georgia. Friday March 3, 1934
^^4 _ H Club Week
x March 6 -14
RAH I ISHS 51 - 50 RAH 1 RAH ! RAH I ISHS
agents were added to the staff, and
at the writing of the first annual
report in 1915, Georgia had 5,507
club girls and 14,275 club boys.
Six years later, in 1921, serious •
thought began to be given to de
veloping a steady growth in 4-H
work. It was about this time that
the name “4-H Club” actually
came into being, and this organiza
tion was stressed rather than pro
ject clubs. Emphasis began to be
placed on community, county and
state organizations of 4-H Club
members, and social, recreational
and leadership training was in
cluded along with instruction in
farm and home projects.
The number of projects, attend
ance at short courses and camps,
enrollments, livestock shows,
fairs and other phases of club
work continued to grow and im
prove all through the 1920’5.
In 1932 a joint 4-H program with
both boys and girls was set up
under the supervision of G. V.
Cunningham, who had been dis
trict boys’ club agent from 1912
to 1921, and state boys’ club agent
from 1921 to 1932. Two assist
ants —a man and a woman—were
appointed to help Mr. Cunning
ham.
The joint program grew rapid
ly, and in 1933 the first State 4-H
Club Council meeting was held in
connection with the state farm
and home week. Because of the
war, farm and home week was
discontinued in 1941, but the 4-H
Council continued to meet either
alone or in connection with the
state home demonstration council
meeting. In 1944, 301 leading boys
and girls attended the 4-H Coun
cil meeting in Milledgeville, where
the event has been held annually
ever since and now attracts over
1,000 persons each year.
The first statewide 4-H camp
in wildlife conservation — was
held in 1933. This event has con
tinued, but the 4-H camping pro
gram has expanded to include
three other state camps and one
national camp. In addition, appro
ximately 10.000 boys and girls an
nually attend summer 4-H camps
in county groups. This number
will be increased at least five fold
with the completion of the State
4-H Club Center at Rock Eagle
Park this year.
District project achievement
meetings were started in each Ex
tension district in 1935. As an out
growth of these events, the State
4-H Club Congress was started
in Atlanta in 1943, a year after
W. A. Sutton became state 4-H
Club leader. Fifty-three club mem
bers amended t^e first State Con
gress. Today, around 300 boys and
girls are delegates to the annual
event.
Four-H enrollment has grown
through the years from less than
200 in 1905 to 131,385 in 1953. And
the number of projects has grown
from one — corn — to more than
'IOO activities as varied as the in
terests and chores a boy or girl
between the ages of 10 and 21 can
find in the home and on the farm.
WORKING TOGETHER FOR WORLD UNDERSTANDING
IRjVINTON SENIOR 4-H CLUB
There are 102 members of the
Irwinton Senior 4-H Club.
The Irwinton Senior 4-H Club
holds its meetings on the first
Thursday of each month. At the
first meeting this year the follow
ing officers were elected:
President, Elizabeth Knight
Boys’ Vice-President, Joe Mason
Girls’ Vice-President, Lynne
Carpenter
Secretary, Jonnie Mae Fountain
Reporter, Jeanette Stapleton
The advisors for the club are:
Mrs. B. K. Asdell
Miss Carol Green
Miss Joyce Riden
Mr. James B. Kopp
Mrs. N. H. Bacon *
Mrs. Walter Adkins
Mr. I. E. Everett, Sr.
Mr. Elmer Stapleton
At the regular meetings we have
a program which is given by mem
bers appointed by the president.
On the second Thursday of each
month the club has a recreational
program in the school gymnasium.
IRWINTON JUNIOR 4-H CLUB
In our Junior 4-H Club, our of
ficers are:
President, Carolyn Williams
Boys’ Vice-president, Jimmy
Knight ’
Girls’ Vice - president, Jean
Walker
Secretary, Jo Ann Bell
Reporter, Don Asbell
Treasurer, Eugene Moore
Song Leaders, Carol Davis,
Butch Jackson.
Advisors:
Miss Carol Green
Mr. James Kopp
Mrs. Esther Adkins
Mrs. B. K. Asdell
Mrs. Mendell Davis
Mr. Sidney Miller
We have many projects in our
4-H Club. Some of these are Tree
Identification, Reforestration,
Lamp Making, Gardening, Plate
Designing, Planting of Bi-color
Lespedeza and sewing. Many de
monstrations on these projects are
given by our home demonstration
and county agents.
During each of our meetings we
have had a program which was
given by the club members ap
pointed at the last meeting.
All the members of our club are
excited about 4-H camp, because
we are going to Camp Wahsega.
The members of our club who
went last year were Roy Ford,
Jimmy Knight, Frank Shepherd,
Harold Ford and Don Asbell.
Many of them who wanted to go
didn’t get to go because there was
not room on the bus.
Every second Thursday night in
the month we have a dance and
on some Saturday nights we have
a council meeting for the officers.
At some meetings we have de
monstrations and programs which •
are given by other clubs in the
county in order to show what they
have done.
Reporter: Don Asbell
TOOMSBORO 4-H CLUB
The officers of the Toomsboro
4-H Club are as follows:
President, Sharon Boone
Boys’ Vice-president, Frank
Jones
Girls’ Vice-president, Feam
Spears
Secretary, Done Lane
Treasurer, Betty Rose Dominy
Reporter, Jimmy Lord
Song Leaders, Edwin Lord, and
Slyvia Butler.
The advisors for our club are:
Mr. Don Smith
Mr. and Mrs. E. G. Dickey
Mrs. Dorothy Smith
Mrs. H. C. Cathy
Our club meets the first Friday
of every month. A committee that
is appointed by the President is
responsible for the programs.
A film was shown at one of the
meetings on Atomic Energy. It
showed us how to prepare our
selves and our families for an
Atomic Attack in case our enemies
attack our country.
Our club members and those
that were not members were given
a tree to plant the day we observ
ed “Tree Appreciation Day.”
Instructions x>n how to plant the
trees were given by our secretary,
Don Lane.
Our County Agent, Mr. Walston
Smith, gave us an interesting talk
on how to treat and plant garden
seeds at one of our meetings.
The ones that chose “Tractor
Maintenance” for a project were
given free books with information
concerning the care and repairing
of farm tractors.
Reporter: Jimmy Lord
GORDON 4-. H CLUBS
The Gordon Junior 4-H club
meets each month for their regu
lar meeting and one night in each
month for a supervised Recrea
tional meeting. Officers were elect
ed for the year 1953-54 as follows:
President, Sara Ann Miller
Boys’ Vice-president, William
Young
Girls’ Vice president, Patsy Beck
Secretary, Patricia Hawthorne
Reporter, Marie Hawthorne
Song leaders, Laverne Young
and Charles Jackson.
The 4-H Members plan, often
with the help of the 4-H advisors,
a program to be presented at each
meeting. We have had plays and
skits which were presented with
all the costumes to make it real
istic.
Mrs. Smith, Home Demonstra
tion Agent, gives a demonstration
at each meeting and help us make
articles on Saturday’s.
Reporter: Marie Hawthorne.
The Gordon Senior 4-H Club
meets the first Thursday in each
month for the regular meeting and
the third Thursday in each mon
th for a Recreational meeting. Of
ficers were elected for 1953 as fol
lows:
President, Ellis Lavender
Girls’ Vice president, Della
Robinson
Boys’ Vice President Jack Mc-
Neal /
Secretary, Bobby Hawthorne
Reporter, Carl Snow
Song Leaders, Peggy McNeal
and Hugh Lord.
The Gordon Senior Advisors
are:
Mrs. Paul Bacon
Mrs. J. T. Hadden
Mrs. J. T. Garner
Mr. Thomas White
Reporter: Carl Snow
Established — 1894